The Genius Effect
by cantstopobsessing
Summary: The sequel to "House Gets Hired." Still pre-series, and a little pre-infarction, which comes later in story, House starts his career at Princeton-Plainsboro due to Cuddy giving him a chance despite his history in other hospitals. What no one expected was the kind of change his presence brings to the hospital.
1. Chapter 1

House strutted into the lobby and through the Clinic the next morning to reach Lisa Cuddy's office. He liked how the doors had glass so he could peer in on her before any confrontation. She was sitting at her desk, focusing on something on her computer screen so intently, that she didn't even see him coming. He grinned and grabbed both door knobs to her double doors and swung them open at the same time.

She jumped up in her seat, "Oh, God!" she screamed out, putting her left hand to her chest.

House gave her a confused look, "wow, I thought I'd have to show more of my skills before you started calling me 'God,' but, okay."

She arched her right eyebrow at him, while grabbing a stack of papers she had in the corner of her desk and gave them to him when he sat in the same chair he selected the day before. "These are all for me?" he asked, feeling like running out of there to avoid them.

"Yep. All for you. You can sit there if you want," she said pointing to her couch with his gaze following and looked back at her with a hurt expression.

"You don't want me sitting close to you?"

She let out a laugh, "it's more comfortable there," she smirked, now knowing how much he hates paperwork, "aaaand, you're going to be here a while."

He scowled at her and got up to move to the couch and dumped all the papers on the coffee table and stared blankly at the top one. He inhaled before he started talking. "There has got to be a simpler way to go around paperwork. All it really is, is saying that I agree to not kill a patient intentionally, which I don't..." he paused, rethinking that he might if they were morons, but kept it to himself, "that has got to be a given, right? So why do you need me to-"

"Just do it, House."

His scowl came back and she smiled at him and turned to face her computer screen again. His gaze stayed on her to make sure she was deep into thought over what she was doing so she wouldn't be paying attention to what he was doing, and scanned the page for a signature line, signed it, and dated it. He flipped to the next page, scanned for the signature line, and dated it, flipped the next. "House, what are you doing?"

"Paperwork," he answered, never lifting his head, continuing signing and dating.

"You have to be reading that too," she stated sternly.

He looked up and squinted his right eye, "I'm a fast reader," his eye went back to its normal, "go, do what you're doing, and I'll..." he scanned the next page and saw that it was just full of words and flipped it, passing it by, "do what I'm doing." His pattern continued and grinned when he felt her gaze left him and she went back to her computer.

Five minutes later House sat up from sitting on the couch and sat back in his chair he grew accustomed to and dumped the stack of papers he was handed. "Done."

She rolled her eyes, knowing he just signed and dated, but didn't want to argue over the little things. However, she feared what else he might try and get away with in the future if he was already breaking the simplest of instructions of reading, but reminded herself this was Greg House, and didn't say anything. "Okay, now," she leaned back in her desk chair, "we need to figure out which department to put you in. What is your specialty?"

He looked at her skeptically, "you mean to tell me, that when I came in here yesterday, you knew the fact that I had a girlfriend, but, you didn't know what my specialty was? When THAT is on my resume, not my relationship status. Why were you so interested?" his narrowed eyed gaze stayed on her and he watched as her face started to blush. He inhaled and moved on, not entirely sure he wanted to know the real reason, he was happy with Stacy. "I'm a certified Diagnostician with a double specialty of infectious disease and nephrology. So, where are you going to put me?" he asked casually, sitting back in his chair as he waited for her to answer.

"I...can put you in...our Diagnostics department."

He narrowed his eyes on her again, which he saw she responded with a questionable look. "You don't have a Diagnostics department."

"We could. If we had someone like you to run it."

"Run it? Would I have a team?"

"If you want."

"I want a team."

"Fine, then you are in charge of the interviews, since you'll be working with them, you get to pick them."

"Where's my office going to be?"

"I..." she paused, realizing she hadn't thought of where to put him. "There's a big office a couple floors up you can use. We've had it vacant for a while, so you can start getting your stuff in there today if you want, and I'll put up a post that we're looking for resumes and give them to you when I have enough for you to go through. This is a teaching hospital, so they will be your team, but also, you will have to teach them things as you go along."

"But they'll know enough?"

"Of course."

He nodded, "fine. So, where is this office?"

"It's next to the Oncology department, I'll show you when I'm done with this," she motioned to her computer screen.

"No rush, I can start doing things tomorrow, I can come back then," he saw her give him a shocked look at wanting to leave.

"Have you heard from Wilson yet?" he asked before she got a chance to respond to him leaving.

"Yeah, I talked to him not long after you, he's coming in for an interview in a few hours."

"Good."

"Look, House, why don't you start today. I can use you in the Clinic for a little while, then I'll work on getting you your first patient as soon as I can."

He made a face at the suggestion but knew he should be thankful that she gave him a chance. "The Clinic," he whined, when he reminded himself they have history and he didn't need to be on his best behavior with her when she already knew how he was.

"Just for five hours and then you can go home for the day," she paused and shrugged, "or, I can just tear all this paperwork up and forget you ever came in."

"You wouldn't, you need me here."

"I'd get over it," she said, challenging his leaving.

He stood up frustrated, "you never said the Clinic was part of the deal. If I had known-"

"If you had known you still would have accepted because I'm the only one crazy enough to hire you long term..because I know your history, and you're good at what you do."

"Fine," he said through clenched teeth. "But I'm not wearing that damn white coat."

Cuddy chuckled when House stormed out of her office and stood at the counter in the Clinic looking at files of patients like he was being held at gunpoint...


	2. Chapter 2

Cuddy was sitting at her desk interviewing James Wilson when she heard a light knock on the door and saw a thin woman dressed in a professional dress suit attire with dark hair step in. "Hi, Dr. Cuddy?"

"Yes," she answered pleasantly.

"I'm looking for Greg, a, Dr. Greg House, is he-" she saw Wilson turn to face her. "James!" she exclaimed happily.

"Hi, Stacy," he answered warmly with a smile.

"Stacy...you're the girlfriend, right? I talked to you on the phone."

"Yeah, that was me. He told me he'd be here today but, I don't know where to find him."

"Oh, he's in the Clinic."

She saw the same shocked expression with a hint of worry from both Wilson and Stacy. "The Clinic? Really?" Stacy asked surprised. "And there hasn't been anybody running screaming? Attempted suicide from any patients?"

"Nooo," Cuddy answered, now feeling a little nervous.

"Ha, well how about that? He's behaving," she smiled, "I'm proud of my guy," she paused and then put her arm out. "Please, sorry, continue, I'll just go-"

"Well fine then don't listen to me you moron! Go home and die! I don't care!"

Stacy paused hearing the scream behind her, coming from an exam room. "Found him...and...I guess I spoke too soon."

Stacy walked out of the office and closed the door behind her. Wilson looked awkwardly at Cuddy as she looked towards the door with worry and regret on her face as she saw the patient House yelled at walk quickly out of the Clinic. "So...how badly does this effect my chances of getting in?" Wilson asked her, trying to make light of the situation.

* * *

"You couldn't behave yourself for one full day, could you?" Stacy asked House, leaning in the doorway of the exam room he lingered in.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, with his hip resting against the counter and his arms folded over his chest.

"I'm on lunch. I wanted to stop by and see how you were doing. I was in Dr. Cuddy's office when your little outburst happened."

"Did she look mad?"

"Not mad...I would say, more, shocked, but she was the only one. We knew better."

"We?" House asked, walking over to the window that allowed him to see the door to Cuddy's office from where was at.

"James is in there being interviewed."

"How did it look like it was going?" he asked straining to get a better look, by shifting his position when the staff and patients walked by blocking his view.

"Pretty good, I think. Look, Greg," she walked over to him and placed her left hand on his shoulder to make him face her. "You have to keep this job," his gaze was pulled away with struggle and landed on her and saw she looked concerned. "If she decides to not keep you, then, I don't know where else you can go to get hired...just...don't be you quite so soon. For me, okay?"

He hesitated with the answer but finally gave in. "Yeah, okay, I guess I can not be me until I get settled in. Then it'll be harder to get rid of me!" he announced as though he found a loop hole.

She chuckled at him, "that's all I ask." She hit his shoulder lightly while looking at the time on the clock that was behind him. "I gotta go back to work," she leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "See you tonight," she said while heading out the door.

"Yeah, see you." He watched her leave the through the door and shifted back to the window to see her leave the Clinic but was torn away from her when he saw the door to Cuddy's office open and Cuddy was standing near Wilson escorting him out.

House ran out of the exam room and caught up to Wilson as he was turning from saying his parting good byes to Cuddy as she closed the door, concealing herself in. "So, what happened?" House asked. "Did you get it? Are you in the Oncology department?"

Wilson looked at House aggravated and walked towards the door of the Clinic to leave with him following at his left. "Yes, I got it."

House's face splashed confusion, "you don't seem as happy as one should who has just got himself a job."

"I had to promise to do her a favor in order to get it."

House glanced at the doors of Cuddy's office which he could only see part of her from where they were, "sexual favors?" he glanced back at Wilson and made a face, "she does seem like the type," his mouth formed a smile and let out a laugh, "although, if I weren't with Stacy I'd totally try to hit-"

"I had to promise her to help keep an eye on you!" Wilson shouted, interrupting House.

House gave him a sympathetic look "sorry."

Wilson and House reached the doors to the lobby and Wilson stopped, confusion spread across his face. "You're walking out with me? Aren't you still suppose to be here for a couple hours?"

House scowled, "you know you don't have to start right now," he whined.

"House!"

"Fine, be that way!" House stormed off and went back to the Clinic, "I can already tell you're a better friend then colleague!" he shouted over his shoulder.

Wilson sighed and walked out of the hospital, ready to come back the next day to officially start, hoping that the position was worth the trouble of keeping a close eye on his friend who breaks all rules, and acts like a child with no parents...


	3. Chapter 3

"I have a patient for you," Cuddy told House when she found him in his office the next morning. She observed that he had a desk, a chair, a white board in the other room, and an over-sized red and grey tennis ball that he was throwing up in the air to catch, while sitting in his chair that was pointed to the opposite wall, away from her. "You need more than this in your office, House. You need a computer for starters...not just toys to play with."

"It helps me think. So, what's wrong?" he asked her, still throwing the ball up while keeping his chair in the direction it was pointed towards.

"With the patient?"

"Unless there's something wrong with you," he answered, still tossing the ball.

"I went through the file and it looks like lupus to me because-"

"It's not," he interrupted.

"You saw the file?"

"No, I just know its not. It's never lupus."

Cuddy made a face at the back of his head, getting irritated with how he kept his back to her and how he seemed more interested in that damn ball then the patient she had for him. "All the symptoms are there, House. I told you I looked at it myself and-"

"I'm sure you did," he answered, cutting her off again but this time turned his chair to face her and placed the ball on the surface of his desk. "There are lots of other diseases that mirror lupus, and because of that, it gets misdiagnosed. It could be lyme disease, in some cases, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome-"

"Fine, then, figure out which thing its not and treat the patient for what it is," she dropped the file on his desk in front of him and looked down skeptically through the glass surface of his desk at his right hand rubbing his thigh, "what did you do?"

"What?" he looked up at her and followed where she looked. "Oh, it's nothing," he answered, removing his hand, "I may have pulled something during sex last night with Stacy. No big deal...I just got to give it some time before I jump back on top of her is all," he smirked at her when he saw her expression looked aggravated but blushed slightly at the mention of how he might have hurt it, knowing that the chances of her imagining him in bed having sex were high, wondering if she were replacing Stacy with herself.

"Well," she said, trying to shift the conversation on to something else, "here are some resumes to look through." She dropped a stack of papers on to his desk next to where she dropped the file.

"Great, I'll just hire the top...how many can I have in my team?"

"Three."

"I'll just pull off the top three and hire them. Should be fine."

"No," she answered sternly. "Go through them," she leaned forward and pulled the top three resumes and looked at the names. "I better not hear that you want to hire a Robert Chase, Matt Figmen, or a Dan Miller when I ask who you picked...and, I want you to have one woman in there. You can't have all men."

"But what if they are who I really want?" he whined.

She looked back down at the names and scanned the resumes, "you're allowed Robert Chase, if you really want one from these," she told him trying to compensate but she saw that he still didn't look happy. "What?"

"I thought Figmen would be fun to say."

"Too bad," her focus went back to his right hand which went back to his thigh. "Are you sure you're alright, House?"

"Yeah, fine," he stood up and grabbed the file to the patient and walked around his desk and motioned for her to go with his hands. "Get out of here, I have a patient to diagnose which won't be with lupus."

Cuddy walked towards the door with House close behind her and made a side step to get out of his way as he left but held back from leaving to watch him as he walked down the hall towards the patient's room and furrowed her brow in thought when she noticed a slight limp...


	4. Chapter 4

Cuddy tapped the tip of her pen on her desk, watching as people walked by her office in the Clinic while thinking of House and the patient she gave him. He was so against it being lupus, she couldn't help but wonder what the real diagnosis was, and whether she was right or not. She glanced at the time on her cell and saw that three hours had passed since she gave him the file. With the skills he has, he had to have figured it out by now.

She smiled while pushing her chair back to stand up by the idea that she will soon find out who was right. She cut through the Clinic and lobby and reached his floor by the elevator. She watched her feet hit the floor as she walked down the hallway and let out a smirk when she got close to his main office door and was about to walk in but stopped short when she looked up and saw he was kissing Stacy near his desk. She lingered for a second, frozen, not knowing what to do but knew she had to do something if she didn't want to be caught standing there looking at them. She quickly turned on her heel going back in the direction she came, still seeing House's face in her mind, the way his eyes were closed and kissing her as though he didn't want to part.

Cuddy felt disoriented as she gained speed, not knowing if they stopped, but didn't want to risk turning back to look. In case they did, she had to look like she was on the floor for a reason, and relief flooded her when she remembered that his friend James Wilson was on the same floor getting his office together. She sighed and turned once she reached the end of the hallway to go in there to see how he was doing.

She poked her head in the small opening of his door while knocking lightly on it. He stood behind his desk with his back to her and shifted to see who it was. "Oh hi, Dr. Cuddy, come in," he said with a warm smile.

"Hi, how are you doing in here?" she asked taking steps into his office and taking a look around and saw that he had a desk, laptop, chair and a bookshelf behind his desk that he was putting medical books on.

"Just setting everything up. Making it more like me in here before I dive into any real cases," he answered, still busy with putting books on the shelf as she smiled at his posters he had leaning against the walls that she asumed he planned on hanging somewhere.

"It's looking good so far," she said finding her way back to him after looking around in time to catch him glance up at her with a smile. "I can see which one is the more serious doctor type out of you and House."

"Are you talking about his decoration choices?" he asked, stopping what he was doing to look at her.

"Yeah...a desk...a ball..."

"Toys help him think."

"Ha, yeah, that's what he told me too. Hey, do you know if he has diagnosed his patient yet?"

Wilson grabbed another couple of books that were on his chair and furrowed his brow in thought. "Not that I know of," he used his books as a pointer and aimed them in the direction of his office. "I think he's in there if you want to ask him yourself," he answered, putting the books on the shelf.

"Yeah," she cringed while making a face, "Stacy is in there and-"

"Let me guess..making out?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and took a seat in his chair that was now clear of stacked books and pointed behind her which she followed and saw a chair behind a framed poster that she didn't notice and brought it over across from his desk and sat in it.

"Yeah, you can say that," she answered after making herself comfortable.

"Apparently she has been coming to see him whenever she gets the chance to leave her office. I personally don't like being around them too much when they are acting all couple-like."

She looked at him curiously, "why?"

"Oh you know how it is...seeing a happy couple just makes you feel like..."

"Oh," Cuddy put up her hand, "I get it. I know what you mean. The singles never like the couples," she smiled at him, "I understand." Her curious look came back, "you aren't seeing anyone? You seem like a nice guy. I can't imagine you not being with anyone."

His eyes widened, "are you hitting on me?"

She chuckled, "no, just making conversation. But now that I talk to you more outside of an interview setting, I'm understanding now why you and House are friends," her smile lingered on him as he flashed his own back at her. "But, you aren't?"

"No, I'm going..." he paused, "have just gone through a divorce so..."

"Oh I'm sorry."

"Yeah, so am I." They were silent for a couple seconds, neither one of them knowing where to go from there. Then Wilson scoffed, "I figure if House can find someone to love him then I have a pretty good chance of meeting someone again," he joked.

Cuddy thought for a second while looking at the surface of his desk, "I can see what she sees in him," she commented. She looked back up at him and met an amused gaze. "What?"

"You see what she sees in him?" he asked suspiciously with a playful grin.

"Okay," she said sarcastically while standing up, "I think I'm done in here," she held his gaze with her lingering sarcastic expression but turned serious when she reached the door. "Have you noticed his leg?"

"What do you mean?" Wilson inquired, turning serious himself.

"He...was grabbing it like it hurt him. And then, I watched him walk away and, I could have sworn there was a slight limp."

"Iiiiii haven't noticed anything. But, then again, I've been busy in here. When did you notice it again?"

"The first time was today. I don't know if it started before or not," she said sounding concerned seeing that Wilson looked it.

"Well, he's the best diagnostician, so, if something were wrong that needs to be worried about, he would be the one to know, right?"

Cuddy leaned against the frame of his door. "Yeah...yeah...you're probably right," she paused to think it over. "Yeah, you are right."

"Right."

"Okay, well, I should get back to work, so, I'll see you later Wilson."

"You going to try his office again about the diagnosis?"

"No, I can wait," she said rolling her eyes with a scoff and waved before she turned to leave.

"See you later," he called out to her before she was out of view. He sat at his chair thinking over what Cuddy just said to him and his eyes shifted to the door that led to the patio he shared with House wondering what he was keeping from them...


	5. Chapter 5

"Cuddy I-" House came through Cuddy's office door and stopped talking when he took in the view in front of him and saw it included Wilson sitting on her couch. "Oh, look, the girls are bonding. Are you going to do each others hair next?"

Wilson scowled at House's grin in his direction while Cuddy sat back and enjoyed the facial interaction between the two. "What do you need, House?" Cuddy asked.

"Forget it, its not important, this is much more interesting," he took a seat at the chair next to the couch and crossed his legs, doing his best imitation of how a woman would sit and waved his hand at Wilson to continue. "Don't let me being here stop you, go on Jimmy."

"House, just say what you gotta say and leave," Wilson spat out.

House's amused expression slowly went away and became serious. "I'm starting to think this was about me," he swung his head in the direction of Cuddy. "What were you guys talking about?"

"Weee-" she looked awkwardly away from him and over at Wilson for some help and House followed her gaze with his own.

"We're worried about you," Wilson told him.

"Why?" he asked.

It became Wilson's turn to look awkwardly away, although not in the direction of Cuddy, but towards House's right leg, hoping he would understand what he was going to say without saying it. As the silence wore on, he started thinking House did figure it out, which by his expression staring back at him when Wilson's eyes lifted back up to find his told him, he did, and has chosen to keep quiet, forcing Wilson to say it out loud. "We're worried their might be something wrong with your leg."

House looked away from Wilson and over to Cuddy, "can I go home for the day? My patient is all better. So, unless you have someone else for me to look at, I don't see why I need to be here," he told her, avoiding the topic Wilson brought up.

"What was the diagnosis?" Cuddy inquired.

"Not Lupus. You were wrong. So...I'm gonna go," House stated, getting up and walking towards the door.

"No, you can go work in the Clinic until you are off for the day," Cuddy answered him, her right eyebrow arched.

"Oh come on. It's only an hour until I'm out of here. Do you really think I'll make that much of a difference in an hour?"

"Yes."

House scowled at her, studied her as she showed no signs of backing down. "Fine, Wilson, come with me, I need you," he jerked his head in the direction of the door as Wilson got up and nodded to Cuddy with a slight smile in parting and followed House out of her office. House made sure that both sets of doors were closed, and were a few paces away from her office before he said a word to Wilson. "I need you to write me a prescription. Vicodin would be best, but, I'll leave it up to you. Anything like that will be good."

"Why?"

"I need it."

"But, why?" Wilson asked again, showing concern.

"Pain. Come on, Wilson, write the script. You don't need to know why," House's eyes shifted around to those walking by them to make sure no one overheard what they were talking about and have it get back to Cuddy. But everyone seemed to walk by without caring what they were discussing.

Wilson's eyes widened, "if you're asking me to prescribe you a pain killer, like" Wilson leaned in close to whisper "Vicodin," he leaned back away and his tone went to normal, "I think I have the right to know why."

"Headache."

"There's over the counter stuff for that."

"I stabbed my arm with a pen earlier be accident, real hard."

"No you didn't."

"I just," House disfigured his expression as though he were crying and his voice came out in a whine, "hurt so bad that you are going through all this pain with the divorce. It hurts me too, you know."

"House! I'm serious! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, forget it, I'm fine," House turned to walk away.

"Have you told Stacy?" Wilson called out to him.

House turned his head and shot Wilson an amused smirk, "there's nothing to tell. Let Cuddy know I've gone home, will you?" House grabbed the handle of the Clinic door and swung it open to walk through.

"You can't ignore what you're feeling in your leg forever, House!" Wilson shouted, letting House know he knew it was bothering him and hoped it would get him to stop walking and turn around and come back, but it didn't. He watched as House left through the hospital doors, leaving a frustrated and worried Wilson behind...


	6. Chapter 6

"How's the leg you claim doesn't hurt, but you were bothered enough by it you asked Wilson for Vicodin for it?" Cuddy asked House the next day after walking into his office and made herself comfortable on the chair sitting across from him on the opposite side of the desk he sat at.

"I never said it was for the leg; which is fine by the way," he snapped, staring at her from his side of the desk.

"Have you told Stacy?" Cuddy asked, with her expression and tone softening.

"There's nothing to tell!" he shouted. He kept his eyes locked with hers, his wide and hers concerned, not giving in to letting the topic go.

"Look, House," she took a deep breath, "I know I shouldn't be prying, and, I know its been a long time since we've seen each other, so, I can't say we've been friends exactly, since we've met, but, I'd like you to let me in a little. So, whatever is going on, whatever pain you have, you can tell me. Maybe I can even...help you," she added desperately.

"I have a friend already, don't need another one," he retorted.

"Wilson?"

"Yep, I can only be nice and civil to one person at a time in my life. Right now, my focus is on him."

"And, Stacy," she added.

"Stacy is more...not so much a friend but," he looked up towards the ceiling to think, "okay, friend," he looked back at her, his eye widened, "with great benefits," he said, then blinked, "so, it's different," he added.

Cuddy let out a laugh, "you don't tell her things like you tell Wilson do you?" she asked, with some surprise.

"Why?" he shrugged his shoulder. "It will just upset her if I told her my problems, any bad things going on; so why put her through unhappiness because I'm going through it, when I can just deal with it myself, in my own way?"

"Because," Cuddy's eyes were wide for emphasis, "that's what you do when you're in a relationship!" Her eyes went back to normal as she continued, "if I were your girlfriend I would want you to be little more open about things going on with your life, even if it were bad."

"Good thing you aren't then, isn't it? Boy would you be miserable if our one night stand turned into something!"

Cuddy was shocked that he brought that up about their past. She has thought a lot about it over the years, and more so, even though she wished she wouldn't because he was with Stacy, since he came to the hospital but, she had no idea that it was something he still thought of. Or, unless he just brought it up now to do exactly what it was getting her to do.

To leave.

She stood up, avoiding eye contact with him, and excused herself while walking to the door to leave his office. But she turned to face him before walking out, and mustered enough courage to look at his eyes for contact, which she found his eyes were on her, waiting, almost, inviting them. "Maybe we are nothing more then boss and employee, maybe it will always be that way. But, because you're my employee, I have the right to know if something is wrong. So you may not want to confide in me as a friend, and that's fine, you said you don't want another one, I'll respect that, but as my employee, I would hope you'd respect me enough to tell me."

Cuddy walked out the door without another word, leaving him with that to think about, and let the door close behind her, as she started walking down the hallway to the elevator. Right as she pressed the button for the elevator to stop, she heard a door open coming from behind her. "Cuddy," House called out. She turned to look at him and saw his right hand was on his thigh, and he looked at her with a defeated expression. "My leg hurts."...


	7. Chapter 7

Cuddy rushed back down the hall towards House. "How bad is the pain?" she asked, leaning down to touch his leg, "does it hurt when I do this?" she put pressure on it under where his hand was.

"Ow, when you squeeze it like that it does! Don't touch it," he snapped.

She stood up straight, her gaze meeting his own with concern splashed across her expression. "How bad is the pain?" she repeated.

"It's pain. It hurts."

"Do you have any idea what it is?" she asked hopeful.

He looked down and away from her, looking at his left, "no," he answered disappointed.

"Does it just hurt when you touch it, or does it feel constant?"

"Quit asking me questions like I'm your patient," he snapped again, irritated.

"You're going to have to be somebody's patient," she looked back down at his leg and watched him rub it, "and frankly, I'm not sure who will be able to handle you for a patient, if not someone you already know and knows how you can be."

"Knew," he corrected, keeping his eye on her even though she still wasn't looking at him. "You said yourself that we haven't really been around each other all the time since we met."

She looked up at him and made eye contact, "do you want someone you don't know for a doctor, will that make things easier on you?"

"I don't care. And who said I was being admitted. I told you it hurt, I didn't tell you I needed a bed."

"No, I say you need to be admitted. My hospital, my employee," she emphasised, "my rules. I have to make sure my doctors are healthy so they can make their patients healthy."

"That is going to get old real fast."

"So are you saying you'll admit yourself?"

"No," he started to turn away from her to go back into his office and Cuddy watched as he took two steps inside and grabbed his right thigh, clearly in pain to anyone looking at him and he slowly turned back to face her, his face full of anger and frustration, which she wasn't sure if it was directed towards her or, the situation he found himself in. "Fine. You win this one."

"I'm sorry, House," she said sympathetically.

He nodded, and started walking with her down the hall away from his office as Cuddy wrapped her right arm around his back to help him walk. "I'm not a cripple, I can do this on my own," he told her.

She lowered her arm, listening to his wishes. She was relieved that she managed to get him this far into admitting that he was in pain, and about to get help for it, that she didn't push it any further. Instead, she walked slowly by his side, never letting herself look away from watching his limp worsening in the corner of her eye.

"You want me to call Stacy for you?" Cuddy asked when they reached the elevator.

"She doesn't need to know," he answered, looking straight ahead to avoid the look he knew she was giving him.

"House," she started disappointed. "She has the right to know. If she doesn't already. Hell, I noticed it. I'd be surprised if she hasn't."

"If she did, she would have said something," he retorted, looking back with anger in his face but she knew it wasn't towards her. He was angry that Stacy hadn't mentioned it if what Cuddy said was true.

"Maybe she's waiting for you to tell her."

House looked back at the elevator when the doors open. "Maybe."

"So, you want me to leave it to you then?" Cuddy asked when she hit the number to the floor they needed.

"Yeah, I'll tell her," he said quietly.

* * *

Cuddy sat at her desk, looking at her computer monitor replaying the last couple of hours in her head. Gregory House had something wrong with him, that he couldn't figure out. The idea seemed impossible to her. But, the proof was there, right in front of her. He laid there in a hospital bed, angry and in pain. She knew a part of him may have an idea, but he was choosing to keep quiet about it. Maybe it was denial. Maybe he didn't want to think whatever he thought was wrong with him was actually what he had. That scared her. She looked up to him in college; everyone did. If what he may think is so bad that it will prevent him from practicing medicine, that would change everything for her. Not just because she just hired him, but because even though they haven't talked all these years up until now, in the back of her mind, whenever she came across a hard case, the thought that always came to her was "Greg House would know."

She shook her head with a little laugh, knowing she was over exaggerating. It's his leg, not his brain. He'll be fine, she told herself and focused on the monitor but, she still wasn't seeing the words written across her screen. The phone ringing made her jump and she grabbed it to answer on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Cuddy?"

"Yes, may I help you?"

"It's Stacy. Greg's... House's, Stacy."

Cuddy swallowed hard, "yes," she said, her voice a little unsteady and cleared her throat to better compose herself. "Did he call you?"

"He did. Is it true he's admitted into the hospital?" she asked concerned.

"Yeah, as of a couple hours ago," Cuddy paused and couldn't help but ask what she was wondering since she left House. "Were you ever able to tell something of wrong?"

"Of course I could tell. But, I know Greg, if he didn't bring it up to me, then he didn't want me to know about it. But, I hoped he did want me to know. I wanted him to let me in and tell me, but, I know this about him too. He didn't want to cause me any pain or misery," she said in a tone that Cuddy couldn't help think sounded a little sarcastic, but, she didn't know her well enough to make that determination. "What he didn't know, or realize, was, not telling me, made me even more miserable then if he just would have opened up. I love him, so that's what makes me put up with his crap."

Cuddy sat quietly, not really knowing what to say to her. She wasn't all that great with relationships herself, and not nearly good enough to give advice. Especially when it came to a relationship that House was in, when she wished he wasn't in one more than she'd care to ever admit. "Anyway," Stacy went on, to fill the silence. "I'll be in once I'm done at the office to see Greg and to see what's going on."

"Alright, I'll see you in a few hours then. Goodbye, Stacy."

"Bye."

Cuddy hung up first, wanting to end the conversation quickly. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the rest of today...


End file.
